Automatically-operating pneumatic wheel for motor and other vehicles



I H. c. BAQUIE. AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING PNEUMATIC WHEEL FOR MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED SEPTA. I919. i 1,%l8,5i5; Patente'dJune, 6, 1922,

'2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

' H. C. BAQUIE. AUTOMATICALLY OPERATING PNEUMATIC WHEEL FOR MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 4, I919.

Patented June 6, 1922.

"HIT TINT HUBERT CHARLES BAQ'U'IE, or NORTH CARLTON, NEAR MELBOURNE, VICTORIA,

AUSTRALIA.

AUTOMATICALLY-OPERATING rnEUMA'rio WHEEL roniuo'ron AND OTHER VEHICLES.

Application filed September 4, 1919.

matically-Operating Pneumatic Wheels for Motor and Other Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in and connected with pneumatic Wheels for motor-cars and other vehicles, and it has been "devised in order to provide an improved and automatically operating pneu- -matic wheel having a solid tyre.

lVheels furnished with pneumatic tyres, as'distinct from wheels of the type to which this invention relates have many advantages over ordinary wheels fitted merely with solid tyres, or wheels of a merely resilient nature and known as spring wheels. One such advantage is the provision of an air cushion between the axle and the road surface, and another advantage is the wellknown action of a pneumatic or soft rubber tyre to fold resiliently over a small obstruction. I

In order that these andother advantages of the pneumatic or air-inflated tyre might be obtained without the actual use of such, there have been devised pneumatic wheels having solid rubber tyres.

In an automatically operating pneumaticwheel according to the present invention there are provided means for the automatic operation. of the air cushioning mechanism, means whereby the use of a solid rubber tyre is dispensed whilst retaining the advantages of the same; means permitting the angular relative displacement of the wheel rim on the wheel spokes, the latter being fitted in an annular race; a tubular spoke construction; means whereby the spokes can be detached from both the hub and the rim of the wheel; a resilient power transmitting connection between the spokes and the rim; means for effectively exeluding dust or other foreign matter from the working parts of the improved wheel and for retaining lubricant therein; a rim having separable annular parts and a de- Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented June 6, 1922.

Serial No. 321,725.

tachable' tyre channel-independent of; said rim.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination and arrangement hereinafter fully described with'reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the improved pneumatic wheel. 7

Figure 2 is a view, partly in transverse section and partly in plan, of the wheel shown in Figure 1.

,Figure 3 is a view in transverse section to an enlarged scale of a portion of the improved wheel. V

Figure 4: is a view in longitudinal section to an enlarged scale of a portion of the rim and tyre of the improved wheel.

Figureo illustrates in vertical section a modified spoke construction.

' Figure 6 is an elevation of a portion of the improved-wheel embodying the spokev constructionillustrated in Figure 5.

In these drawings the numeral 7 desig nates a wheel hub which is preferably of metal and can be made by casting, forging or machining. Secured radially around said hub are a series of spokes 8, ea-chof is secured to said piston head 11 by means ofa screw 17 and a washer 18. I

Extending outwardly and axially from the closed end 19 of each of said air cylinders 15 is'an extension or boss 20, and detach'ably fitted as by screw-threads to the opposite end of said cylinder is a bush or gland 21 having an orifice 22 in whichslides the tubular portion 9 of-the spoke.

A rim 23 of the improved wheel is constructed in two annular parts 24: and 25 fur nished with suitable means as screw-threads 26 for their detachable connection. The an-' tyre 29, which is preferably made of wood.

To said tyre 29 there is secured as by vulcanization, a solid rubber tread 29 The bosses 20 on the air cylinders 15 are designed to fit within said race 27 in the rim 23, and they are each furnished with anti-frictional and thrust devices, the preferred form of which is a ball 30 for the axial thrust and balls 31 for the side thrust, the race 27 being thereby employed as a ball race. Interposed in said race 27 between each pair of spokes 8 is a metal block 32 secured to the rim by a screw 33. Formed in the ends of said blocks 32 are recesses 3-1 each of which is adapted to receive and seat one end of a coiled spring 35. Thrustpockets 36 at either side of each boss 20 are slidable in the race 27 and are adapted to receive the free ends of the coiled springs To each of the cylinders 15 at its closed end there is attached a cover 37 which extends over the raceway 27 and around the inner periphery 38 of the 'rim 23. Secured to said rim by screws 39 are outer covers 10,

which fit slidably over said covers 37 and in conjunction with the latter function to prewent the ingress of dust 'orother foreign 'matter to the race, 'and to egress of lubricant therefrom.

The glands 21 have elongated necks 4C1 surroundingthe orifices 22 in order to pro;

prevent the vide long bearings for the spokes of the wheel. 7

According to the modified construction, illustrated in Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, the spokes are substantially of the same appearance externally as an ordinary wheel of the artillery type, and this feature viewed in conjunction with the rubber tread and wooden base; tyre, having a cross section similar to that of an ordinary pneumatic tyre and cover, renders it difiicult to distinguish between a wheel of the artillery type fitted with pneumatic tyres, and an automatically operating pneumatic wheel according to the invention. 7

In the'modified' construction the air cylinder 15 is formed of comparatively thin tubular material, and the gland 21 is entirely dispensed with.

The tubular portion 9 of the spoke 8 is extended into said air cylinder 15 and is fitted with a cap 42 and a leather 16 to form a pistonhead 11 Piston rings 43am fitted in the form of felt rings inserted in grooves in the outer wall of said piston head 11 lVhen the improved pneumatic wheel is in use on a vehicle, such as a motor-car, the load is transmitted from the axle of the car to the tyre of the wheel through a plurality of aircushions formed by the spoke construction described and which air-cushions permit of a slight eccentricity of the wheel rim 23 relatively to the hub 7 Owing to this action, as the wheel revolves after the application of power to the driving axle of the vehicle, the air cylinders 15 reciprocate upon the piston heads 11 and thereby act as air compressors and furnish an efiicient pneumatic support for the vehicle.

The race way 27 and the balls fitted to the bosses 20 provide means for the consequent angular displacement of said rim 23 relatively to the spokes 8 with a minimum of frictional loss of energy. r

Power from the axle is not transmitted directly through the spokes 8 to the rim 23 by means of rigid connections, but is trans mitted resiliently through the coiled springs 35 to the fixed blocks 32. The rubber tread functions to pass resiliently over a small obstacle, whilst employment of the wood base hub, tubular spokes secured to the hub, piston heads at the outer ends of said tubular spokes, cylinders fitting over said piston heads, a rim towhich said cylinders are connected, and glands detachably connected to the inner ends of the cylindersan-d having openings through which the tubular spokes extend r 2. A wheel comprising a hub, spokes having pistons at their outer ends, cylinders in which the spokes operate, a rim having races in its inner side, bosses at the outer ends of the cylinders and arranged in the races, covers at the outer ends of the cylinders, extending over the races and the inner periphery of'the rim, and outercovers secured to th rim and slidably fitted over the first named covers.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 1n presence of two wltnesses.

HUBERT CHARLES BAQUIE.

Witnesses JAMns H. ANDERSON, J. B. SYMEs. 

